A multi-storage deck connector apparatus having at least an upper and lower storage deck is connectable to a printed circuit board. Each deck has its own set of contact pins that must make electrical connection to the printed circuit board. A vertical connector is arranged between the storage decks so that the upper storage deck contact pins are connected to the vertical connector and the vertical connector is connected to the printed circuit board. The lower storage deck contact pins are connected directly to the printed circuit board.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A multi-storage deck connector apparatus for electronic cards comprising: at least upper and lower frames coupled together in a stacked arrangement, each frame having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to the width of an electronic card, each frame defining a respective storage deck of said connector apparatus; a first array of contact pins disposed in said upper storage space and adapted to removably mate with an upper one of the electronic cards; a second array of contact pins disposed in said lower storage space and adapted to removably mate with an upper one of the electronic cards; a first circuit board to which one of said upper and lower arrays of contact pins is directly electrically connected; a second circuit board to which the other array of contact pins is directly electrically connected; and a vertical connector mechanically coupled between the first circuit board and the second circuit board and adapted to electrically connect the first circuit board to the second circuit board, whereby one of said arrays of contact pins is directly electrically connected to the first circuit board and the other array of contact pins is indirectly electrically connected to the first circuit board via the second circuit board and the vertical connector.
2. A connector apparatus for connecting an electronic card to a main printed circuit board, said connector apparatus comprising: a frame having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to the width of the electronic card; a header coupled to the frame and having an array of contact pins adapted to removably mate with an electronic card; and an intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to the array of contact pins; and wherein said intermediate printed circuit member indirectly connects the array of contact pins to the main printed circuit board.
3. The connector apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a connector soldered to the main printed circuit board, the array of contact pins being indirectly connected to the main printed circuit board via said connector.
4. The connector apparatus of claim 3 wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector.
5. The connector apparatus of claim 3 wherein said connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and a mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the main printed circuit board and the other of said portions being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit member.
6. The connector apparatus of claim 5, wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
7. The connector apparatus of claim 3, wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises an intermediate printed circuit board.
8. A connector apparatus for connecting an electronic card to a main printed circuit board, said connector apparatus comprising: a frame having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to the width of the electronic card; a header coupled to the frame and having an array of contact pins adapted to removably mate with an electronic card; an intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to the array of contact pins; and a connector soldered to the main printed circuit board, the array of contact pins being indirectly connected to the main printed circuit board via said intermediate printed circuit member and said connector.
9. The connector apparatus of claim 8 wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector.
10. The connector apparatus of claim 8 wherein said connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and a mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the main printed circuit board and the other of said portions being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit member.
11. The connector apparatus of claim 10, wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
12. The connector apparatus of claim 8, wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises an intermediate printed circuit board.
13. A connector apparatus for connecting an electronic card to a main printed circuit board, said connector apparatus comprising: a frame having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to the width of the electronic card, said frame defining a storage space of said connector apparatus; a header coupled to the frame and having an array of contact pins adapted to removably mate with an electronic card; an intermediate printed circuit member to which the array of contact pins are connected, the intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to said main circuit board; and a connector for connecting the intermediate printed circuit member to the main printed circuit board, whereby the array of contacts are indirectly connected to the main printed circuit board via the intermediate printed circuit member and said connector.
14. The connector apparatus of claim 13, wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises an intermediate printed circuit board.
15. The connector apparatus of claim 13 wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector mounted on the main printed circuit board.
16. The connector apparatus of claim 13, wherein said connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and a mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the main printed circuit board and the other of said being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit member.
17. The connector apparatus of claim 16, wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
18. A connector apparatus for connecting a plurality of electronic cards to a main printed circuit board, said connector apparatus comprising: a plurality of frames each having opposing side rails spaced at an interval substantially equal to the width of an electronic card, each of said frames defining a storage space for receiving an electronic card, and each of said frames having a header coupled thereto that comprises an array of contact pins; an intermediate printed circuit member to which at least one of the arrays of contact pins of said headers is connected, the intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to said main circuit board; and a connector for connecting the intermediate printed circuit member to the main printed circuit board, whereby said at least one array of contact pins is indirectly connected to the main printed circuit board via the intermediate printed circuit member and said connector.
19. The connector apparatus of claim 18, wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector mounted on the main printed circuit board.
20. The connector apparatus of claim 18, wherein said connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and a mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the main printed circuit board and the other of said portions being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit member.
21. The connector apparatus of claim 20, wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
22. The connector apparatus of claim 18, wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises an intermediate printed circuit board.
23. Apparatus for providing a connection between a device and a main printed circuit board, said apparatus comprising: a header spaced from the main printed circuit board and having an array of contact pins for connecting to the device; an intermediate printed circuit member to which the array of contact pins of the header are connected, the intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to said main circuit board; and a connector for connecting the intermediate printed circuit member to the main printed circuit board, whereby the array of contacts of the header are directly connected to the main printed circuit board via the intermediate printed circuit member and said connector.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises a intermediate printed circuit board.
25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector mounted on the main printed circuit board.
26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and an mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the main printed circuit board and the other of said portions being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit board.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the device comprises an electronic card.
29. Apparatus for providing connections between a plurality of devices and a main printed circuit board, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of headers each comprising an array of contact pins for connecting to one of said devices, said headers being arranged such that at least one header is spaced from a surface of the main printed circuit board; an intermediate printed circuit member to which the array of contact pins of said at least one header are connected, the intermediate printed circuit member mechanically coupled to said main circuit board; and a connector for connecting the intermediate printed circuit member to the main printed circuit board, whereby the array of contact pins of said at least one header are indirectly connected to the main printed circuit board via the intermediate printed member and said connector.
30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said connector comprises a surface mount connector mounted on the main printed circuit board.
31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said connector comprises a vertical connector having a header portion and a mating receptacle portion, one of said header and receptacle portions being soldered to the intermediate printed circuit member.
32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said header portion is disengageable from said receptacle portion.
33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said intermediate printed circuit member comprises an intermediate printed circuit board.
34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said plurality of devices comprises at least one electronic card.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 17, 1999
September 11, 2001
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